CONTENTS
DRAFT RECOMMENDATION - 2
Section A : Action taken on Resolution (52) 47 of the Committee of Ministers - 2
Section B : Development of existing facilities - 3
Section C : New measures - 3
Section D : Introduction, of a European saving system for encouraging travel abroad - 4
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM - 5
Part I : Analysis of the arrangements in force for encouraging travel and the exchange of persons between the member countries of the Council
I : Council of Europe - 6
II : UNESCO - 9
III : International Labour Organisation .11
IV : Plans jointly worked out by UNESCO and I. L. 0 - 12
V : International Clearing Centres - 13
VI : Local Authorities, Local Organisations " Pairing" - 14
VII : Workers' organisations - 15
VIII : Trades Union Savings Banks, holiday or travel funds - 18
IX : Public or semi-public organisations - 21
Part II : Measures which the Committee submits for consideration by the Assembly, intended to supplement and develop existing arrangements - 22
APPENDIX : Scheme for exchange of visits between members of European local authorities - 29
Draft Recommendation
The Assembly,
Considering that foreign travel and, in particular, visits on an exchange basis between the citizens of one country and those of another lead to greater mutual understanding and can thus contribute effectively to the promotion of the idea of European unity,
SECTION A
Action taken on Resolution (52) 47 of the Committee of Ministers
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers communicate to it regularly detailed information of the action taken in pursuance of Resolution (52) 47 and, in particular, of measures taken by individual Member Governments, which do not fall within the scope of the cultural programme of the Council of Europe, with a view to :
SECTION B
Development of existing facilities
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite Member Governments to develop, and to extend to new groups of the population, the arrangements in force for encouraging international exchange and foreign travel, more especially :
SECTION C
New measures
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers propose to Member Governments the introduction of new measures to encourage travel abroad by the lower-income groups of the population such as :
SECTION D
Introduction of a European savings system for encouraging travel abroad
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers convene a Conference of the competent authorities in the member countries for the purpose of preparing a Convention establishing a European savings system, which will enable the lower-income groups of the population to travel abroad, and which would incorporate the following proposals :
Explanatory Memorandum
(presented by Miss BURTON, Rapporteur)
1. The Committee on Social Questions believes that foreign travel and, in particular, individual exchanges between citizens of one member country and another will lead to better mutual understanding between the peoples of Europe and thus to a greater appreciation of, and support for, the cause of European unity.
The Committee considers, however, that the maximum results will not be obtained from this development of personal contacts between the citizens of Europe, until they are extended to the large numbers of people who in every European country either have not the means, or have hitherto not been accustomed, to spend their holidays in a foreign country.
The Committee, accordingly, had chiefly in mind this category of people when considering the question referred to it, namely : " Examination of the possibilities of promoting foreign travel by citizens of Member States of the Council of Europe in the territory of other Member States, on an exchange basis or otherwise, in order to improve their mutual understanding and to foster a knowledge of the distinctive way of life of the respective nations. "
2. As a first step, in order to avoid duplication and waste of effort, the Committee instructed the Secretariat-General to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the stops already taken either by the Council of Europe or by other organisations, with a view to facilitating and increasing European travel by citizens of the member countries of the Council. In making this enquiry the Secretariat-General has paid particular attention to the facilities for foreign travel available to the category of people mentioned above, but has also included summary details of any concessions and special facilities which, though originally intended for other groups, might be extended to those whom the Committee on Social Questions had particularly in mind.
3. Part One of this Report incorporates the results of the inquiry and gives a general picture of existing arrangements.
Part. Two analyses those measures Avhich the Committee submits for the consideration of the Assembly, both in order to supplement the arrangements which exist, and in order to find new ways of encouraging travel and the exchange of persons between the member countries of the Council, in the spirit of the motion referred to it.
PART I
Analysis of the arrangements in force for encouraging travel and the exchange of persons between the member countries of the Council
I. Council of Europe
4. It should be recalled that one aspect of the general question under consideration was raised in the Consultative Assembly as early as 1951, when, on the basis of a report by the Committee on Cultural and Scientific QuestionsNote, the following Recommendation was adopted Note :
" Considering that exchanges of teachers, students and young technicians can greatly contribute to the spread of the European idea among young students and workers;
Having taken note of the Report of the Secretariat-General on the existing exchange facilities,
5. The Committee of Ministers responded to this Recommendation nine months later by the following ResolutionNote :
The Member Governments were invited to inform the Secretary-General of any action they might take on the basis of this Resolution.
6. In pursuance of Point 5 of the Resolution, a credit was opened in the budget of the Council of Europe to promote " exchanges of workers between the menber countries. " The sum of 1,000,000 French francs was placed at the disposal of the Norwegian, British and Belgian Governments under the budget of 1953-1954, and 2,000,000 French frs. to the Danish, Italian and Swedish Governments under the budget of 1954-1955.
7. The first of these credits was devoted to the following purposes :
The sum of 100,000 French frs. was allocated to the Belgian Government in aid of a scheme for the exchange of textile workers and the British and Norwegian Governments received 900,000 French frs. in aid of an exchange of workers arranged in accordance with the cultural convention between the two countries.
The Anglo-Norwegian exchanges were directed by a sub-committee for exchange of workers between the two countries, appointed by the joint committee set up by the two countries under the terms of the cultural convention. The sub-committee is composed of representatives of the following workers' organisations :
United Kingdom
Trades Union Congress (T. U. C.)
Scottish Trades Union Congress (S. T: U. C.)
Co-operative Union
Workers' Educational Association (W. E. A.)
National Council of Labour Colleges (N.'C. L. C.)
National Institute of Adult Education
Workers' Travel Association (W. T. A.)
Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges
Norway
The following arrangements for the utilisation of the grant were agreed by the British and Norwegian members of the subcommittee :
8. To complete the picture of the efforts made by the Council of Europe in this field, mention must be made of the plan recently adopted by the Special Committee on Municipal and Regional Affairs to encourage exchange visits between European local authorities. This plan, initiated by Mr. Smithers, might well serve as a model in other fields. It is appended to the present document.
II. UNESCO
9. UNESCO acts as a centre of information for the international exchange of persons. To that end, it gives information and advice, conducts studies, and produces publications at regular intervals containing data on travel facilities and grants for ordinary and final studies. The most important of these publications is an annual directory entitled " Study Abroad " which gives information with regard to grants for ordinary and final studies and to other funds made available by Governments, private institutions and international organisations for educational travel.
Until the publication of " Study Abroad ", there had been no concerted effort to collect in an international directory all the available information on facilities for students.
This work is revised and enlarged every year, and it has already proved of great value. There is no doubt but that the information it contains has been instrumental in greatly increasing the international exchange of students.
10. There are other UNESCO publications concerning more specialised or more restricted fields. The " Supplement on Holiday Courses " which accompanies each volume of " Study Abroad ", gives information on short courses and on travel opportunities open to various categories of people during their holidays. " Workers Abroad ", " Teaching Abroad " and " Travel Abroad " all deal with the international exchange of workers, teachers and young people sponsored by Governments, associations and international organisations.
11. " Trave l Abroad " contains information on passport, visa and currency regulations in the various countries. Details are also given of reductions in railway fares for collective travel and of some five hundred organisations in one hundred and forty-six countries and of thirty international organisations which undertake to help young people to travel abroad by planning educational trips and dealing with questions of accommodation and similar matters.
12. Travel grants for young people are also offered by UNESCO in co-operation with youth and student organisations to cover the travelling expenses of people who come from other areas to take part in international educational gatherings, such as study courses, discussion groups, educational lectures and travel connected with the various subjects in the UNESCO programme. In 1952 the recipients of forty-two UNESCO travel grants, from thirty-two countries or territories, took part in various gatherings and schemes in eleven countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
13. In the sphere of workers' exchanges, UNESCO's contribution takes the form of international travel grants for workers, offered in association with important trade union organisations,, co-operative societies and workers' educational organisations. In 1952, as a result of these travel grants, thirty-seven groups of workers, including, in all,, some 700 people fromtwelve European countries, were able to take part in collective educational trips in European | countries other than their own, to study the local conditions and to make direct contract J with the local workers. In 1953, grants were j made to 48 different groups, including 900 ; manual and non-manual workers from twelve I European countries, namely Austria, Belgium, ! Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of j Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Nor- j way, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
14. Generally speaking, UNESCO's work j in this field far outstrips in importance any- i thing that is being done by the many other j organisations concerned with the exchange of persons. The list of these organisations fills \ nearly one hundred pages of UNESCO documents.
Tribute must be paid to the efficient j work done by UNESCO in centralising and | co-ordinating all these schemes, and UNESCO ; activities in this field must be taken into j account in connection with all future projects.
///. International Labour Organisation
15. The International Labour Organisation is also doing important work in this field. It co-operates with the organisations concerned to study the problems raised by workers' travel abroad and the opportunities opened up there- 1 by, to distribute information calculated to < facilitate bilateral and multilateral exchanges, ' and to make recommendations on ways and means of facilitating workers' international travel. It also helps workers' educational organisations to arrange seminars and holiday courses abroad, and provides workers with fellowships or grants.
16. The 37th Session of the International Labour Conference adopted, on 24th June, 1954, a resolution on the advantage taken of holiday facilities available to workers. The resolution recommends, inter alia, that : " Consideration should be given to appropriate measures of international co-operation to improve holiday facilities, such as the conclusion of bilateral j or multilateral agreements making facilities and arrangements available Lo workers in one country available on a reciprocal basis lo ihe workers of another country, and facilitating travel between countries and the organisation of educational exchanges. "
IV. Plans jointly worked out by UNESCO and I.L.O.
17. In January, 1954, the International Labour Organisation held a joint meeting of experts with UNESCO to consider the question of exchanges of workers. The experts reached the following conclusions.
18. All the national and international organisations concerned should give special consideration to the possibility of increasing their exchange activities to the maximum extent and of giving more help to organisations dealing with exchanges outside Europe.
19. To enlarge the scope of workers' exchange programmes, it would be advisable to obtain additional funds. The experts emphasised that it was desirable not to depart from the co-operative system by which workers' exchanges are financed by all concerned, including the workers themselves. In all suitable cases a larger measure of financial assistance should be given by inter-governmental organisations and governments.
20. The, experts also stressed the need to make additional appropriations for workers' exchange programmes, including workers' fellowships and international and regional holiday courses. They expressed the hope that the competent authorities for the International Labour Organisation and for UNESCO would take this into account when considering the budget estimates of their respective organisations.
21. Although methods of financing vary from country to country, special consideration should be given to the following :
22. Where special facilities, such as cheap rates, are already available to certain categories of travellers, they should be extended to workers visiting foreign countries for educational purposes.
23. The organisations concerned should take the necessary steps to provide adequate information and instructions in both the country of origin and the country visited.
24. It would be desirable for co-operation \ on workers' exchanges to take place at the j national level, where necessary by the esta- j blishment of co-ordination committees of representatives of the competent authorities, employers' and workers' organisations and other bodies concerned, or by other appropriate means.
25. There should also be the closest cooperation internationally :
26. Lastly, the experts noted the scope and diversity of the exchanges arranged between the organisations and local institutions, and recommended that there should be as many such exchanges as possible. They expressed the view that the most effective method would be to act, wherever possible, through international bodies to which the local organisations are affiliated.
V. International Clearing Centres
27. The International Association for Ex- 1 changes of Students for Technical Experience ; (T.A.E.S.T.E.) is an example of an organisation equipped to act, as circumstances require, as a genuine clearing centre for offers of, and applications for, employment. As soon as the establishment of exchanges within a given profession becomes possible on. a reciprocal and multilateral basis, the prospects of development will be greatly enhanced by setting up a system of this kind.
28. Eighteen nations are members of the I. A. E. S. T. E., Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Iceland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Yugoslavia. The aim of the Association is the reciprocal organisation of practical training courses in industry, for students who have qualified in the universities and major technical colleges.
29. The administrative machinery, through which nearly 3,800 exchanges per annum were arranged in 1951, is on a very modest scale. The national committee of the various countries participating in the exchange system are responsible not only for securing trainee posts in enterprises for candidates put forward by other countries, but also for judging the qualifications and applications of their own nationals, and helping them, in collaboration with the committees of the other member countries, to secure positions as trainees abroad-At the annual Assembly of the Association, offers and applications from the various countries are correlated by what might be called an international employment agency. Each national group proceeds on the following principle: for each student whom it wishes to send abroad, it must try to find a suitable post in its own country for a foreign candidate.
VI. Local Authorities, Local Organisations, " Pairing "
30. The Pairing of Municipalities offers wide scope for individual exchanges. But, although exchanges are fairly frequent between local councillors, school children and students, exchanges between workers and young apprentices do not seem to have been developed as much as they should. Mention should be made, however, of the pairing of the towns of Troyes (France) and Tournai (Belgium) and the friendly agreement between Verviers (Belgium) and Mulhouse (France), I Schio (Italy), AVest Riding (U. K.) and Berlin, j whereby each year exchanges take place of j workers and young apprentices in the textile ; industry, which exists in all these towns.
VII. Workers' OrganisationsNote
31. In a desire to encourage foreign travel, the workers' touring organisations are paying ; special attention to this question. Such asso- j ciations facilitate foreign travel by providing miscellaneous services, ranging from essential j information to financial assistance and even j to the actual planning of foreign tours.
32. In Belgium the Vacances et Santé organisation is controlled by the General Labour Federation of Belgium, while the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions runs a similar organisation entitled Vacances et Loisirs. Recently, however, the move by the trade union leaders towards co-ordination has resulted in an agreement to set up a single co-operative institution.
33. In France an effort at organisation was made immediately after the war by the Tourisme et Travail organisation, which is subsidised by the General Tourist Board and supported by the Union of Youth Hostel Federations. The trade unions take part in the work of both these organisations. That workers' organisations are fully aware of their responsibilities in this field is borne out, for example, by the fact that the French Confederation of Christian Workers (C. F. T. C.) has established a special service, known as the Fédération Française de Tourisme Populaire, by amalgamating a number of associations set up to assist the workers to make use of their paid holidays; other workers' organisations have taken similar action.
34. In Italy, some oi the services set up by various trade union organisations, such as the Organisation for Annual Holidays for Workers in the Como region, are concerned with the utilisation of holidays; moreover, some measure of unity has been achieved at the local level in workers' recreation clubs.
35. In the Netherlands, there are three travel associations. The Prolestanl trade unions co-operate with one and the Socialist trade unions with another, while the Catholic trade unions have their own association.
36. In Denmark, the trade unions founded a mutual assistance society in 1939 with the title " Danish People's Holidays ". This organisation constructs and runs holiday accommodation for the poorest members of the population.
37. In Finland, on the initiative of the workers' organisations, the People's Holidays Association was founded in 1941 to encourage the utilisation of paid holidays. In addition to this association, which is developing rapidly, there are other, older organisations, such as the Workers' Travel Association and the People's Travel Bureau. The Finnish Tourist Association co-operates closely with the other organisations mentioned. Although each of these associations has different functions, the same persons sometimes hold senior posts in several of them. Lastly, local holiday clubs have been formed by workers entitled to paid holidays.
38. In Norway, an association known as " Norwegian People's Holidays " was founded in 1939, with the support of the trade unions, as a co-operative society organising holidays for workers.
39. A similar body in Sweden is the Travel and Holidays Association of the People's Movements, established.in 1937 on the initiative of the trade unions, co-operatives, saving banks, etc., to act as a centre for the organisation of workers' holiday schemes.
40. In some countries workers' education organisations play an important part in the organisation of holidays with pay. For instance, in the United Kingdom the Workers' Educational Association, the Workers' Educational Trade Union Committee and the Workers' Travel Association, which are connected with the trade unions, take an active part in organising holiday facilities for workers. Occupational organisations such as the Miners' Welfare Commission also provide physical and cultural holiday facilities.
41. Some organisations have tried to arrange holiday exchanges between working-class families in various countries. The International Co-operative Alliance is at present considering a plan for exchange of accommodation during the summer holidays. This may provide useful information for working out future schemes.
42. Conventions have been adopted in some countries by the organisations responsible for helping in the planning and organisation of holidays with pay by the workers. In particular, agreements have been concluded by the organisations concerned in Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom to reserve the necessary space on trains and buses and, where necessary, to settle foreign exchange questions through the clearing system. The conclusion of such agreements and of new arrangements in this field are among the main objectives of workers' holiday organisations in many European countries.
43. In Finland, for example, the Travel Bureau of the People's Holiday Association has offered its services to visitors sent by organisations in neighbouring countries. As a measure of reciprocity the Scandinavian organisations give help to the visitors from Finland. In France the social travel associations make arrangements for the reception of foreign tourists in France and help French people to take holidays abroad. Similarly, in Italy the institutions concerned with helping workers to plan their holidays with pay also arrange trips abroad. These workers come from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom the organisation of holidays abroad is one of the principal aims of the Workers' Travel Association. The other British workers' travel associations also consider that the organisation of holidays abroad is of the first importance and are endeavouring to foster international co-operation in this field. They have taken steps to attract foreign tourists to Great Britain and have opened an international hostel near London.
VIII. Trade Union Savings Banks, holiday or travel fundsNote
44. In some countries, such as Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France and Italy, there are saving schemes directly under the control of,trade unions, and savings and travel funds organised jointly by the trade unions, individual firms, transport and hotel organisations, the competent authorities and workers' travel and savings organisations.
45. The trade union savings funds are financed by contributions from the members, who may withdraw a certain sum when they take their holidays and are sometimes granted bonuses or credits. In Belgium, for example, the Vacances et Santé organisation has organised a savings scheme at the level of the undertaking which has been operating satisfactorily for a number of years, ft repays 100 francs for every 95 francs saved. In Belgium, also, the Christian trade union movement has come to an agreement with a co-operative group to organise a savings scheme for workers' holidays. In France, Tourisme et Travail has issued holiday books in which, during the year, workers may stick stamps of various values in accordance with what they are able to save. In Italy the Catholic workers' organisations have introduced holiday savings systems through their provincial committees.
46. In a number of countries, including Austria, Canada, Finland, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, there are holiday and travel funds, membership of which is frequently open not only to members of the trade unions but also to larger groups.
47. The Swiss Travel Fund is an excellent example of a savings scheme of this kind. It was founded jointly in 1939 by the federal and cantonal authorities, the majority of the trade unions and various industrial, artisanal and commercial undertakings, together with a large number of consumers' co-operative societies and transport and tourist undertakings. The Fund operates through the sale of holiday stamps. Its main instruments are stamps of a value of 1 Swiss franc and books of travel coupons. Some undertakings help their staffs to travel by paying part of the cost of the stamps. After paying a small entrance fee a member receives a book of travel coupons and all the tourist literature published by the Fund. A travel coupon bearing five stamps can be presented for payment at its face value at the ticket offices of transport undertakings, in hotels and boarding houses and in travel offices ; the Fund repays these agencies the cost of the coupons with a deduction for administrative expenses. Members of the Fund may obtain stamps at a rebate averaging 10 % from workers' trade unions, consumers' co-operative, retail shops and industrial undertakings. This reduction is financed in part by the resources and the revenue from the investments of the Fund, and in part by the trade unions, cooperative societies, etc., with which it is associated. It should be stressed that the Fund makes its contribution only on condition that the other parties contribute at least an equal amount. Under this scheme persons going on holiday are able to organise their journeys as they wish and benefit by a reduction in advance while nominally paying ordinary prices on trains or motor coaches or in hotels.
The operation of this scheme, which now has 15 years' experience behind it, is one of the most complete examples of the organisation of holiday savings. In point of fact, the Fund does not simply channel savings but also organises the way in which they are spent, thanks to arrangements made with many hotels, boarding houses, railways, motorcoach services, cable railways and water transport services. The system is a simple one, and it is the beneficiaries themselves who co-operate to the greatest extent in its working. By 31st August, 1951 there were nearly 160,000 members most of them recruited from among the workers.
48. In the Federal Republic of Germany, thé Workers' Touring and Travel Savings Society (Gesorei) and, in Austria, the Travel Fund are organised on the same lines as the Swiss Travel Fund and perform the same functions. In Belgium a system of stamps has been organised with good results. In Canada systems of saving by means of stamps have been introduced by a certain number of industries. In Denmark the Government has introduced a holiday stamp system by which employers purchase holiday stamps at post-offices and hand them over to their employees during the year. The latter stick these stamps in special books and may cash them at the time of their holidays. This system is widely applied.
49. In Finland the People's Holidays Association uses a widespread system of postal saving funds. In practice the financing of holidays is organised through savings clubs generally set up by the members of holiday clubs. The club officials collect a part of each member's wage and place it on deposit in the bank. When the members go on holiday they are handed their deposit books and can draw the amounts credited to them. In France, the National Holiday Fund resembles the Swiss scheme in certain respects. It issues stamps which the persons concerned may purchase for holiday savings; it also collaborates with the General Tourist Board and the existing holiday organisations to promote measures to reduce travelling and lodging expenses. In Italy a holiday travel fund has been created by the Touring Club. In its aims and operation it is similar to the Swiss fund. In the Netherlands a. central travel savings bank of the same type as the Swiss fund was instituted in 1950 oh the initiative of the trade union movement and with the co-operation of the employers. In the United Kingdom, from information collected by the British Tourist and Holiday Board, it appears that in 1949 there were some 10,000 holiday saving groups in the country, each with about 200 members. In SMeden similar savings groups have been set up by banks in co-operation with travel associations.
IX. Public or semi-public organisationsNote
50. A relatively high proportion of European States have set up public corporations to provid workers with the greatest possible range of facilities. Collaboration has often been established by means of these bodies between representatives of the public authorities, the private associations concerned and workers' and employers' organisations.
51. For instance, in the Federal Republic of Germany an organisation know as the " Workers' Touring and Travel Savings Society " (Gemeinschaft fur Sozialtouristik und Reisesparen : Gesorei) was founded in May 1951. It includes representatives of the Federal Railways, the Central Travel Office, the Federation of Hotelkeepers and Restaurant Owners, the Central Organisation for Industry and Commerce, the Federation of Travel Agencies and the occupational organisations of hotel workers and civil servants.
52. In Belgium the General Tourist Board, which is attached to the Ministry of Communications, is responsible for helping workers and their families by all appropriate means to make healthy, restful and instructive use of their paid holidays. To this end it supports the activity of workers' organisations and carries on a systematic programme to establish holiday and rest centres for workers.
53. In Greece a national public law institution was set up in 1932. It is administrated by a Board comprising representatives of the State, the workers and the employers; one of its duties is to help the workers to make use of their holidays.
54. In Italy a public law body set up before the Second World War organises workers' leisure time and holidays on behalf of the Government. This organisation, known as the Ente Nazionale Assistenza Lavoratori (E.N.A.L.) carries on activities of all kinds in the interest of workers. Local recreation clubs have been established and are administered by boards elected by the workers themselves. A number of these clubs are co-ordinated by provincial boards and the central office of the E.N.A.L. Various Bills to amend the legislation relating to the organisation of workers' leisure, particularly during their holidays, are at present under consideration by Parliament.
55. Public and private transport undertakings (railways, road and inland water transport, maritime transport) frequently reduce their fares during the holiday season, to the advantage of workers and others alike.
56. In Belgium the National Railway Company allows reductions on return tickets bought during the holiday season (April to October) by workers and their families on their annual paid holidays. These tickets are uniformly valid for 20 days and are obtainable on presentation of a social security card or a certificate from the employer. In France the national railways grant a reduction of 30 % once a year on return tickets to all wage earners and their families who make proper application.
Special reductions are granted to persons entitled to holidays with pay in Czechoslovakia (where a free railway ticket is attached to the holiday form), the German Democratic Republic (30 %), Hungary (50 %), and Yugoslavia (75 %).
PART II
Measures which the Committee submits for consideration by the Assembly, intended to supplement and develop existing arrangements
1. The foregoing account, though not exhaustive, gives some idea of the wide range and complexity of existing arrangements. A considerable number of organisations of one kind and another are already concerned with promoting international visits and exchanges, and the Committee on Social Questions has no intention of recommending steps which might lead the Council of Europe to usurp their functions or to introduce an unwanted element of competition by assuming permanent duties in this matter. The draft Recommendation submitted by the Committee on Social Questions suggests that the Council of Europe should intervene on certain definite points where measures to supplement and develop existing arrangements might usefully be taken and where the Council of Europe might play a particularly effective part.
2. The first requirement is that the Assembly should be kept fully informed of the efforts made by Member Governments in connection with the cultural programme of the Council of Europe and otherwise. The Assembly should remind the Committee of Ministers that it is the duty of Member Governments to give effect to the Resolutions of that Committee. In Resolution (52) 47, for exampleNote, the Committee of Ministers invites the Governments to keep the Secretary-General informed of action taken on the various points. This is essential, and there is presumably no question but that the Governments will supply the Secretary- General, and through him the Assembly, with the desired information. Naturally, the Assembly will wish to have information on the measures individual Member Governments have taken since 1952, apart from the cultural programme of the Council of Europe in founding research and travelling scholarships, with a view to :
3. Secondly, arrangements in force for facilitating exchanges and foreign travel by nationals of the member countries should be developed and extended to new classes of beneficiaries.
4. Co-operation between the member countries is required in other respects :
5. Apart from language difficulties, three factors restrict the development of « popular » travel : lack of information, the difficulty of obtaining the necessary " papers ", and the cost of journeys abroad. These difficulties could be palliated to a greater or lesser degree, by the various Governments.
" The Assembly...
SECTION B
Passport Control
Convinced that the ultimate objective of the Member States of the Council of Europe must be the complete abolition of passports for the purpose of travel between Member States;
Recalling that this would be no more than a partial return to the practice of free movement which existed before 1914 in virtually the whole of Europe;
Welcoming the arrangements obtaining as between the Scandinavian states whereby persons travelling from one country to another are no longer required to give proof of their identity on crossing the borders between these countries, and as between Ireland and the United Kingdom, whereby, in addition, aliens reaching the United Kingdom from abroad through the Republic of Lieland are not interviewed again by Immigration Officers on arrival in the United Kingdom and aliens travelling to the Republic of Ireland eta the United Kingdom are seen by British Immigration Officers and not on arrival in the territory of the Republic of Ireland,
2. Recommends to the Committee of Ministers :
SECTION C
Collective travel documents
Having given consideration to the arran gement concluded by the Brussels Treaty Powers (Belgium, Franco, Luxembourg the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) concerning collective travel documents for young persons which came into force on 1st April, 1952;
Believing that young people from all Member States of the Council of Europe should be able to travel on collective travel documents and that the form and contents of these should be standardised;
Recording its view that this recommendation in no way affects its main proposal for the ultimate abolition of passports for travel within the Member States of the Council of Europe and that it is a step towards that end,
3. Recommends to the Committee of Ministers :
Some time may be expected to elapse before these measures can be put into effect. That being so, various reforms should in the meantime be introduced, such as the free issue of passports; the reduction of passport application formalities to the minimum, and the total abolition of such formalities in certain specific circumstances, particularly for return journeys of limited duration. It would be a great step forward if passports could be abolished for people who wish to spend their annual holidays abroad. Proposals to this effect are outlined in paragraph 6 below.
Finally, it is evident that one of the major obstacles to foreign travel in the case of the lower-income groups of the population lies in the expense involved and, in particular, the difficulty experienced by the less well-paid workers if they are called upon to pay out on the purchase of a ticket a lump sum which is large in comparison to their monthly earnings. In many of the European countries schemes for holiday savings clubs already exist, and the extension of such schemes has already been advocated in a previous paragraph. The Committee considers, however, that the introduction of a European scheme for holiday savings clubs for travel abroad would go a long way towards achieving the aim for which it hopes to obtain the support of the Member Governments, namely that Europeans, whatever their circumstances, should have the opportunity of getting to know European countries other than their own.
6. The plan proposed by the Committee is as follows :
The Council of Europe would issue " holiday-savings vouchers " which would, be on sale with the transport companies and obtainable at any local government office, association, trade union or commercial firm that might wish to make them available to its members.
With these vouchers, intending travellers would be able to buy what would be known as " Council of Europe tickets ", valid for the return journey to a foreign country on the occasion of their annual holidays.
The " Council of Europe ticket " would take the place of a passport and would serve as a " laissez-passer " for the period of validity of the ticket itself. It would bear the holders' name and would be granted only on presentation of other papers, such as an identity card or a national insurance card.
The money received by the transport companies through the sale of these vouchers would in effect be a loan to them, the interest on which would permit them to sell the vouchers at less than their face value.
The Committee suggests that proposals on these lines might he submitted by the Committee of Ministers to a special conference of experts with a view to their inclusion in a European convention.
7. Such is the basis of the draft Recommendation which the Committee on Social Question submits to the Assembly for its consideration.
The purpose of the scheme is to enable persons engaged in local government in European countries lo increase their knowledge and understanding of the institutions and methods in use in local government in other European countries. Whereas there is at present a considerable interchange of visits on an official basis between mayors, high officials of local government and other distinguished personages, there is relatively little exchange between the rank-and-file of elected members of local authorities or local authority staffs. It is desired to promote such an exchange and thus to broaden the ouLlook and knowledge of many people engaged in local government who would not normally have such an opportunity.
It is thought that a considerable number of people engaged in local government who already visit foreign countries either on holiday or for business reasons might he glad, if informed of the special facilities offered by this scheme, to take this opportunity of studying local administration in other countries.
The object of the scheme is therefore to make appropriate arrangements and to bring them to the attention of the parties concerned.
A number of local authorities, both urban and rural, herein referred to as " host authorities ", declare their willingness to offer hospitality to visiting councillors or officials of a foreign municipality.
Once a number of local authorities have agreed under the above conditions to participate as hosts, the second stage will consist in bringing the scheme and its offers of hospitality to the attention of the parties concerned, i. e. in making it know to as many European municipal councillors and local officials as possible.
The scheme will he administered by a committee under a Chairman appointed by the Special Committee on Municipal and Regional Affairs from among its members. The committee will be composed of the Chairman and one rejire-sentative respectively of the International Union of Local Authorities, and the Council of European Municipalities and the Secretariat-General of the Council of Europe. It will present to the Special Committee an annual report on the working of the scheme and the results achieved.